


What Color is Your Love?

by keunsbride



Category: SB19 (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Choices, F/M, Fantasy, First Kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:53:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25358029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keunsbride/pseuds/keunsbride
Summary: As a reward for a good deed she has done, Kat receives five empty photocards that would be the key to meeting her idols. However, there seems to be a catch: the moments she would like to seize all end once there comes an almost-kiss. // Inspired by the Korean web drama 7 First Kisses
Kudos: 5





	What Color is Your Love?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kat/bbjah0707](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Kat%2Fbbjah0707).



> Commissioned by Kat/bbjah0707 on Twitter

The chimes rang softly when Kat entered the small coffee shop she works at. She smiled at her coworkers then began to get herself settled, placing her bag inside her locker at the back and putting on her black apron. Kat smiled as soon as she reached the counter to serve her first customer. 

A few minutes into her shift, a lady arrived at the counter wearing an impeccably white outfit. She looked angelic, Kat thought. She looks well into her 30s and yet she has this youthful glow. Kat wishes she could look like the woman when she's older.

"Good morning! I'm Kat. What can I get you today?" There goes the spiel she has long perfected. 

"One vanilla latte, please. Medium. To go," the woman answered with a smile.

"Your name, please?" 

"Angel."

How fitting, Kat thought. She passed on Angel's order to her coworker, Bright, and the woman went to the side to wait for her drink. 

"Medium vanilla latte to go for Angel," Kat heard Bright call out not long after. She glanced to the side and saw the woman take her coffee before leaving.

Meanwhile, the customer who just placed his order suddenly called for her attention and then pointed at a white faux fur purse somebody left on the counter. Kat frowned, but it did not take her long to piece together who owns the purse.

"Bright, ikaw muna dito. I need to step out for a bit." Kat immediately took action, taking the purse and dashing out of the coffee shop to the direction the guard pointed to her.

She found Angel two blocks away from the coffee shop. Her heart burning from that unexpected cardio, she quickly tapped on the lady's shoulder to get her attention. 

Angel turned around. "Yes?" 

"Naiwan niyo po," Kat said in between deep breaths as she held out the purse to the woman.

The woman's eyes widened. "Oh my God! Thank you!"

As soon as she took the purse from Kat's hand, the younger girl began to leave, but Angel held her hand. 

"Thank you." Her eyes sparkled when Kat's met them. "This is so important to me. Hindi ko alam kung paano ka pasasalamatan."

"Wala po 'yun," Kat replied shyly, but to her horror, Angel has already opened her wallet. Before Kat could even protest, the woman handed her five differently colored cards.

Everything happened so quickly after that. Before Kat knew it, Angel was going in a hurry, leaving her standing on the side of the street, baffled.

Kat walked back to work, looking at the cards she was given. They were green, yellow, black, purple, and red. What are these supposed to be? Photocards na walang tao?

A little too preoccupied by her thoughts, Kat bumped into a man's chest. One of the cards she was holding slipped from her hand, but it was quickly retrieved by the same guy she bumped with. 

"Sorry." "Sorry." Kat and the guy apologized at the same time, which made the girl blush. When the guy handed her back the red card, she finally looked up to him.

Josh Cullen Santos of SB19?

***

Kat was snapped out of her gaze when the guy— Josh— spoke. "Katrina?"

He knows me? Kat frowned.

"Long time no see!" Josh proceeded to hug her, rendering her stiff. Kat tried to keep as straight a face as possible, but her heart was thumping so hard against her chest. 

How did he know her? She has never even seen her idols before. Maybe from stan Twitter? Sure. But that still does not explain Josh's tight hold of her.

"Kumusta?" the charismatic guy asked, pulling away but keeping his hands on Kat's shoulders as if they were old friends. His eyes were so easy to get lost into that Kat literally had to shake her head to get a grip of herself. 

"O-okay lang." She did not know what else to answer. 

"Na-miss kita," Josh added, finally letting go. His smile was even more striking than it seemed in photos and videos online. "Huling kita natin… grade school graduation?"

Ha? Kat was sure she was never schoolmates with Josh. If they ever met before, she is confident she would remember. Hello? Si Josh Cullen kaya 'yun. Maybe Josh just confused her for another Katrina. 

"Busy ka? Catch up tayo!" Josh proposed, pulling Kat out of her thoughts.

"M-may shift ako sa trabaho eh," Kat answered in all honesty, even though it was tempting.

"Hatid kita?" The handsome man seemed like he would not take no for an answer. 

Moments later, he and Kat were already walking side by side to the girl's workplace. Josh told Kat about his whereabouts, but while Kat tried so hard to keep her attention to his words, her mind kept spazzing over being with her idol. Jusko. Anong klaseng panaginip 'to? Nag-eenjoy ako masyado.

It did not take them long to reach the coffee shop, to Kat's dismay. However, they arrived just as Bright was turning the placard to show 'Closed'. 

Kat's jaw dropped in utter confusion towards the day's random series of events, but Josh spoke, "Looks like you're free to hang out with me now."

He took her to a park which reminded her of her old elementary school. They sat at the end of the twin slides, scooping chocolate from those small, one-peso snack cups that brought childhood nostalgia.

"Saan mo nakuha 'to?" asked Kat, who thought the product has been phased out for so long now.

Josh shrugged. "Maybe I just happen to have them with me."

Oo nga naman. Lahat posible sa panaginip.

"Hindi ka pa rin nagbabago," Josh suddenly commented, earning a questioning look from Kat. "You still keep so much to yourself. I bet you're answering me in your mind."

How did he know? Kat reacted internally, but it seemed that Josh could really read her perfectly. He chuckled. "I know from looking at you a lot in grade school."

"I had a crush on you, do you know that?"

Kat almost lost grip of her snack cup, but Josh only kept saying things that made her feel more kilig. 

"Ah. Correction. Have. I still have a crush on you."

What the heck? Ang swerte naman ng Katrina na kaibigan ni Josh. Kat had to down her bottle of water to buy her some time. She felt as if her heart was close to bursting.

"Why?" she asked once she has calmed down.

"I'm curious about how your mind works. You're so brilliant and yet you're not confident enough to speak your thoughts," Josh explained. "I'd like to know your thoughts."

It made Kat blush. She may not exactly be Josh's Katrina, but they had similar personalities and she was flattered by Josh's appreciation of them.

Josh's gaze changed when he glanced at Kat. "You have chocolate on your face."

He did not even finish what he was saying. Soon, his right hand was reaching for Kat's face. Josh's thumb lightly grazed the corner of her lips. Magnet-like were Josh's pretty eyes and Kat was only a feeble human who cannot resist them. 

Kat only realized that Josh's face was inching closer to hers when she was getting crossed-eyed looking at him. But right before their lips made contact, Kat found herself standing where she met Josh hours back, without the idol in front of her. On her hand was the red photocard, now with Josh's photo.

What the heck just happened?

***

Disappointed, Kat walked back to work. It seemed as if she was transported back in time. Her almost-kiss with Josh happened at nearly 11AM, but now it was 9AM again, as people were still rushing to make it to work.

Kat weakly opened the door to the coffee shop, but she did not even get the chance to step inside when Bright looped his arm with hers. "Nagpaalam na 'ko kay ma'am. Samahan mo ko."

"Saan?" Kat did not get the memo that she would not be working today.

"May book-signing yung favorite author ko. One book per person lang ang pipirmahan. Ikaw ang maghahawak yung pangalawang libro ko," Bright explained.

Soon, the two of them were in line outside of a bookstore under the blazing heat. They got in twenty minutes after, but it was still a long line inside. Kat just chatted with Bright the entire time as they really did not have time to talk at work.

"Uy, ikaw na," Bright said, nudging Kat forward perhaps too hard. Kat gave him a glare before moving to the table where the author was waiting to sign his books.

"Thank you for coming," the author said sweetly.

That voice. Kat's gaze shot up and met the eyes of none other than SB19's John Paulo Nase.

***

"Sejun???" Kat asked perhaps too loudly. She felt the gazes of the tens of people behind her soon enough.

"Huh?" SB19's leader seemed confused. He was alone on that long table, signing books for his majority of calm fans. It seemed wrong. He was supposed to be with his four other members and the fans are supposed to be more enthusiastic. Sejun held out his hand to receive the book which Kat handed him absentmindedly. 

"Nasaan 'yung members mo?" Kat frowned when she finally laid eyes on the poster behind him. Paulo Nase exclusive book-signing event, it read. Since when was he a book author?

"Ha?" 

Sejun's bodyguard was on his way to her as soon as she was handed back the signed book. 

"Sejun!" was all Kat was able to say right before she was literally carried away from the table.

Thankfully, Kat was released soon after. There was a small fan event that followed the book signing, so instead of returning to work, Bright decided to stay for a bit longer. Kat stayed with him to avoid being confronted by their boss. However, Bright was nowhere to be found.

Out of place, Kat left the event area and went up the escalator. Bookstores are amazing these days, she thought. They're multilevel now. She went to a random aisle to drown herself in books. It turned out to be the children's books section, but she didn't mind. There was a certain magic in children's books.

Kat was surprised to see Sejun sitting on a tiny chair at the end of the aisle, his back pressed against the floor-to-ceiling glass window that overlooked the city. She was going to turn around and leave, quite ashamed of what transpired earlier on, but he stopped her.

"Hey, weird girl."

Kat froze at her tracks, shutting her eyes tight as if it would make her disappear. Slowly, she faced him. "Hi?"

"You called me Sejun a while back. Do you know me from somewhere else?" the man asked, his brows furrowed.

"I was mistaken," Kat lied. It was Sejun— with his attractive eyes, cute, curly hair, and his signature mole above the lip— but it's also not quite him.

"Nevermind." Wow, he really has a strong presence. "Uupo ka ba rito? Dito ka na. Tabi tayo."

He moved out of the seat into the carpeted floor and tapped the chair as an invitation.

Kat would be foolish to say no. She grabbed the book she thought had the most interesting spine and sat beside Sejun. They sat there in silence for an hour, until Sejun closed the book he was holding. 

"Tapos ka na?" Kat asked. It was only then when she finally saw what he was reading. It was Shakespeare. She felt so ashamed sitting beside him and reading a children's adventure book. 

Sejun must have realized why she was blushing. "You're cute."

"Would you like to go for a drink?" he asked, his voice deep like a trench Kat is about to fall into willingly.

"At 11AM?" 

Sejun shrugged. "It's 11PM somewhere else."

That was what got them into this situation— Sejun spouting romantic lines and Kat with her cheeks tinged baby pink, tipsy, and with the idea of going back to work thrown out the window of the bar they were in. Kat giggled for the nth time at something funny Sejun said, but her intoxicated brain already could not remember what it was.

"You know… I like you," Sejun suddenly said. 

It felt like someone dumped cold water on Kat's face. She reached for another swig of her drink. Suddenly, she was not drunk enough for this.

"Like,  _ like _ like?" she asked once she was done. Great job. Real articulate. 

Sejun nodded. He transferred to the seat next to Kat and, soon, his face was too close to hers. When he took a quick glance at her lips, that was when she knew it was happening. Kat closed her eyes. Her breath did not smell like garlic bread, right?

***

The kiss never came. Instead, she was shaken awake by Bright. "Anong ginagawa mo diyan?"

She was back at the bookstore's children's section, with no Sejun in sight. Weirdly, though, the purple photocard was on the spot where Sejun was seated and it now held a photo of his beaming face.

***

Kat pushed the food around her plate, thinking about today's weird happenings. She was at one corner of the coffee shop, having lunch. The girl was just about to take her first bite of food when a man grabbed her hand which was holding her spoon. Now who is this rude customer? Frowning, Kat looked up. She was not prepared for who she saw.

Kanina sina Josh at Sejun. Ngayon, si Ken?

***

"I need a favor, Katrina" Ken said to Kat in a low voice, letting go of her hand and sitting across her. He looked around as if he was trying to avoid being seen by someone.

Kat could not react as she could not grasp what was happening. Why was she meeting SB19 so vividly in her daydreams today and how do they all know her?

"Katrina?" Ken waved his hands in front of Kat to check if she was still with him.

"O?" The girl absentmindedly replied. 

"Kailangan ko ng tulong mo," Ken repeated. He discreetly slid Kat a black flashdrive, which he had to slip between the girl's fingers as she did not seem to be cooperating. 

"Pakitago 'yan para sa'kin. Babalikan ko mamaya." He stood up. "Kat, ha?"

Before Kat could even process meeting him, he was gone.

***

The rest of the day was uneventful compared to the first few hours. Five minutes before Kat's shift ends, there was still no sign of Ken. Sighing, the girl went to the back to put her apron into the laundry basket and take her bag from her locker. She checked if the flashdrive was still there. It was.

Kat hummed as she walked home. It was her usual route, so she knew every nook and cranny, even where the potholes were, but minutes later she began to feel uneasy. She felt like she was being watched. Kat stopped and prepared to run, but the intruder suddenly held her hand, spinning her around to face him. She was going to scream, but she soon saw that it was Ken. Her heartbeat slowed down at the sigh of him.

"Kailangan nating tumakbo." Ken held Kat's hand tighter. They ran through random alleys until Kat did not know where they were anymore. Heck, she did not even know who they were running away from. 

At last, they arrived at their destination. It was an empty house in a neighborhood Kat could not recognize. She looked out of the window while Ken sat on the dusty sofa in front of her.

"Sorry, you had to be involved," he apologized. "You're the only person I can trust."

Something about the way he said it warmed Kat's heart. 

"It's okay," she found herself saying. Those were the first actual words she said to Ken since the beginning of this weird mess they were in.

"Pero bakit ba may humahabol sa'yo? At sino?" Kat just could not help but ask. He is an idol, is he not?

Ken averted her gaze. "I can't say."

Before Kat could even say another word, both of them heard shifting from inside the room. Someone was in there with them. Soon, a shot was fired their way. Kat was frozen in place but Ken managed to jump off the sofa and pull the girl down to hide behind it in a matter of seconds. He pulled a gun out of nowhere and shot above the sofa, hitting the real intruder twice.

Kat's hands were shaking involuntarily in fear when they stood. She tried to look to the side, where the gunman was, but Ken placed a hand at the back of her head and pulled her for a hug.

"Don't look," he said, comfortingly, but Kat could not help but cry. He then held her at an arm's length and wiped her tears. "Hey, don't cry. You've been so brave."

Kat nodded, but her tears did not seem to stop. Ken closed the gap between them. With both hands, he cupped her cheeks, his thumbs wiping away her tears. Here it was again, Kat thought. The kiss that would not come.

***

When Kat opened her eyes, she was in front of her locker. Inside her bag, Ken's flashdrive was replaced by the black photocard. Like the first two photocards, it now bore the face of the idol she just met. 

***

Kat was coming out of the back area of the coffee shop wearing a frown when Bright decided to startle her. "Bulaga!"

"B, ano ba?" Kat said, annoyed, as she swatted his hands away.

Bright gave her a glare in return. "Luh. Sasabihin ko lang naman na andiyan na 'yung sundo mo."

The girl raised an eyebrow at her coworker. Sundo? She always walked home by herself. Kat walked past her coworker and instantly saw the boy standing outside, smiling and waving at her through the glass window— her SB19 bias, Justin.

***

"Hi, Kat!" Justin greeted her as soon as she stepped out of the cafe.

Kat looked at the younger boy with a questioning look, hoping he would provide her a clue as to how they are connected. 

"Di mo ba nareceive yung text ko?" He pouted. "Sabi ko gusto ko sanang mag-hang out tayo. As friends, hindi as teacher-student, ha?"

I'm his what now? Kat's mouth fell agape. Is this the storyline they were given? It seemed impractical, but she was not in the place to complain. Justin must have grown nervous due to her silence, so he added, "Please? Aalis na ako soon eh. Art class in France."

He explained it with a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck in shyness. 

Who could say no to that charming face? Kat found herself minutes later inside Justin's car, going someplace the boy did not disclose. He looked mature as he drove, sexy almost. Kat could not help but giggle.

It must have caught Justin's attention. "Hmm?"

"Nothing." Kat pretended that the butterflies fluttering around in her tummy weren't there.

Justin just smiled, keeping his eyes on the road. Soon enough, they were at an amusement park, trying on couple headbands at the gift shop. His had two butterflies while Kat's had flowers. 

They spent the day going to all the rides they each wanted to try. By dinnertime, both of then were exhausted. Kat's feet were killing her both from their adventures and from her long shift at the cafe, so they decided to have a dinner of hotdogs at the park.

Justin brought back a tall glass of Coke float with their hotdogs which had two quirky straws. Kat blushed. Were they recreating a scene from a K-drama she likes? She tried to take a sip, just to test if she was right about Justin's intentions, and true enough, the boy quickly took his own straw into his mouth.

Kat smiled. Every moment she has shared with SB19 in this— whatever this is— so far has been special, but her time with Justin was just something else.

"You know," he said after pulling away, "akala ko talaga mahirap mag-aral ng French bago kita makilala, but you were such a great teacher."

"Or maybe crush lang kasi kita."

Kat's eyes widened from his sudden confession. 

Justin stood abruptly, startling Kat and a few of the people sitting near their table. "Je t'ai aimé depuis le début. J'aimerais que tu me donnes une chance parce que, je veux être plus qu'un étudiant pour toi."

Kat did know any French prior to this, but she seemed to have understood every word Justin said.

I have loved you from the very beginning. I wish you could give me a chance, because I want to be more than a student to you. 

"Me donnerais-tu une chance, Katrina?" Would you give me a chance, Katrina?

Kat stood. She wanted to say yes, but she knew the Katrina who Justin likes is not really her. 

The young man walked out of his seat and went to her. The kiss from her bias was something Kat did not want to get because she knew it would be the point where their story ends. If she had a choice, she would not want it to end. Nonetheless, she closed her eyes, not in anticipation of Justin's kiss, but to keep her tears from falling. 

It would have been perfect, with the sound of fireworks and merriment in the background, but Kat woke up at the cafe once again at the sound of plates crashing.

***

"Sorry!" Bright called out.

It was exhausting. Kat took a peek inside her bag and saw Justin's green photocard. 

One more to go.

***

She walked to home in silence, her mood dampened by that lost moment with her bias. Her day was ending, but still no Stell in sight. Will he come through?

"Love!" Kat heard somebody call out from behind her. Damn, lovers. Always so loud, she thought, her bitterness overpowering her.

"Love!" 

A man took Kat's hand as he walked in front of her, blocking her path. He had these broad shoulders Kat has seen in pictures before. She looked up to confirm it. It was indeed Stell.

***

"Love, nakalimutan mo ba? Rehearsal dinner natin ngayon."

Kat's eyes widened at what the tall man said, but before she could ask him a question, he had engulfed her in a bear hug. This earned them looks from the people walking by. She blushed. Ganito ba ang feeling ng nagpi-PDA with jowa? Stell's hug made her feel warm all over, too. Ang bango rin niya.

But, soon, the man pulled away. "Tara?"

It was a quick drive to the restaurant where an event organizer was waiting. From the time they left the car, Stell held Kat's hand and has not let go.

"Sabi mo ayaw mong magrehearse para sa kasal nang maraming tao, so tayo lang munang dalawa," he said with a reassuring smile.

Kasal? Kat felt her world go wobbly for a second. Her first four experiences with the members were surprising in their own ways, but this one was extreme.

The event organizer took them to the makeshift stage inside the restaurant. It seemed as if the wedding decorations have started. On the brick wall, it read, Kat and Stell 07.21.20. The wedding is tomorrow?

Kat's footsteps felt heavy for some reason, but Stell's smile remained encouraging. They stood on the stage, following the organizer's instructions. 

Wow, ang swerte ko naman kung totoo to. Kat's thoughts drowned out the organizer's voice. Stell is known to be sweet and thoughtful, so it was no doubt he would also make a great husband. Hundreds of thousands of people dream to be in this place. But inasmuch as Kat felt heaven there in front of Stell at their wedding rehearsal, something inside of her shouted betrayal. 

Kat was interrupted by the event organizer. 

"Next is the 'You may now kiss the bride part'," the lady said. 

Unlike earlier with the other guys, Kat's eyes widened as Stell leaned in for a kiss. She found herself taking a step back, but ended up falling onto her butt.

***

Bright helped her up. It did not shock Kat anymore that she was back at the coffee shop, with a yellow photocard of Stell's in her hand.

"Okay ka lang?" her coworker asked. "Hindi ka ba nag-breakfast?"

Ha? Breakfast? Kat immediately looked up at the clock behind them and saw that it was 9AM once again. 

There was just nothing else she could do but sigh. She was exhausted from all that just happened and now she has to work her entire eight-hour shift again. Perhaps weirded out, Bright left her at the counter to resume wiping the cups. 

Still, Kat tried to smile at every customer however tired she was. She could not even believe she survived the day. Thirty minutes before closing, the chimes sounded, signalling the arrival of a customer. It was the woman in all-white, Angel.

Amidst everything that happened, Kat gave her a smile. "Hi. Good evening. One medium vanilla latte to go?"

Angel nodded. Kat called out her order to Bright, but the woman did not move to the side immediately.

"Kat, right?" she asked.

The younger girl nodded slowly, unsure of where this was going. 

"So, what color is your love?" The lady smiled.

A smile grew on Kat's lips. She knew this question and, surprisingly, she was sure what her answer should be.

"Green," she replied confidently. 

Angel smiled and moved to the side to wait for her drink. Kat was not sure of what would happen next, but she had her fingers crossed she would at least meet him again. Please, even just as a fan, she silently wished.

The woman left her drink and left the coffee shop. As time passed, Kat's heartbeat quickened. 

Last fifteen minutes.

More customers came and went, but no Justin de Dios in sight. Kat sighed. Maybe it was all a dream. Maybe she should just be grateful of what she has received.

Ten minutes.

Five.

Kat just finished punching in an order when a new customer came. Without looking up, she recited her spiel. "Good evening. I'm Kat. What can I get you tonight?"

"One large iced Americano. To go, please," a man's voice said. 

"Your name, please?"

It took the man a few seconds to respond. 

"Justin."

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
